


To Live With Her In My Arms

by MissYunie



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Insomnia, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 15:11:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12843813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissYunie/pseuds/MissYunie
Summary: A walk to the library on a snowy day leads you to finding more than one thing to check out.





	To Live With Her In My Arms

**Author's Note:**

> It's funny how the simplest of things can inspire someone to write. I was out shopping one day with my best friend and I ended up buying a beautiful pair of grey snow boots. These very snow boots that I purchased inspired this sweet little fan-fic. I hope you all enjoy! :)
> 
> Also, I just happened to stumble across the Kenneth Patchen poem and thought it was extremely fitting for the story!

_The snow is deep on the ground._

_Always the light falls_

_Softly down on the hair of my belovèd._

_This is a good world._

_The war has failed._

_God shall not forget us._

_Who made the snow waits where love is._

_Only a few go mad._

_The sky moves in its whiteness_

_Like the withered hand of an old king._

_God shall not forget us._

_Who made the sky knows of our love._

_The snow is beautiful on the ground._

_And always the lights of heaven glow_

_Softly down on the hair of my belovèd._

_\- Kenneth Patchen, “The Snow is Deep on the Ground.”_

_***************************************************************************************************************************************************_

_Insomnia_ ….

How ironic that I suffered from the condition sharing the same name of the city in which I lived. Restless, sleepless, dream-filled nights pervaded me nightly and it was all I could do each day to find the strength to wake and make it through the day. And so, in the early morning hours this morn, I rose slowly with a slight groan and sluggishly pulled the blinds up to my bedroom window.

 _Snow_ …

A smile shaped its way onto my sleepy face. Yes, last evening the Insomnia forecast declared a major storm approaching the area, and while most I knew grunted and groaned over the approach of the winter daemon, I for one met it gladly with delight. The silence permeating the air as the dainty flecks of heavenly white cascaded down onto the ground and coated it with a blanket of white was always one of my favorite pastimes to experience. It was one of those rare moments that I could get lost and truly find ease to heal my weary soul and mind.

It was only 6:00 am, but while the remainder of Insomnia slept in solace, I would venture out and explore this white world of winter.

Now strapped into my Coeurl fur-lined boots and wrapped up tightly inside my Zu-down jacket, I departed my apartment and ventured my way out into the realm of white.

Silence. The cars lining the streets of Insomnia and the roads were covered in several inches of thick and fluffy snow. I shivered slightly as a gentle breeze blew across my neck and the white substance began to coat the top of my head. I laughed at myself and shook my long locks, now raising the hood of the jacket snuggly and warmly up over my head.

The scrunching of snow beneath my feet brought delight to my ears as I made my way around the corner and down Luca Street. The street lights and boulevard signs were still lit luminously, a calming darkness still permeating the morning air around their glow. I took a deep breath as I let the chilling air fill my lungs, shivering in delight. _Why couldn’t I always feel this way_? Despite being the only person out on the streets, for once in my life, I didn’t feel alone. For once, the sorrow that lodged itself deep into the depths of my heart seemed to be forgotten. For once, I was ok with my loneliness. _How does this always seem to be the case with me_ , I wondered as I slowly continued my trek down the lane.

Coernix Oil. Coleman Camping Gear. Audi. Uniqlo. Hammerhead Station. I smiled as I gazed upon the advertisements plastered across the streets of my city. Ebony Coffee! _Boy does that sound really warming to the stomach right about now_ , I thought to myself with a grin upon my face. _Or even a boiling cup of Cup Noodles to take the chill out of my bones_ …I shook my head, knowing very much that it was much too early for such a treat this morning, and that as of now, I only had one destination in mind. A place that would for at least a brief moment let me escape the thoughts that troubled my mind.

After a few more soundless moments strolling through the silent winter streets, I approached my destination, the city’s public library. As a passionate book lover, I had always been jealous that those residing within the Citadel had their very own grand library. I could only imagine in my wildest dreams the recourses the royal Caelum family had at their fingertips…what was it really like inside their grand halls? I shook my head, partially in sadness, knowing that to ever venture inside the hall of records, tomes, and volumes of the world’s most beautiful stories would be but a mere reverie. Perhaps one day….just one day…I’d get to meet someone that could take me there.

I sighed with a sad smile upon my face, knowing that I should be more than grateful for the structure that was now standing before me. Although the city of Insomnia rarely (and ironically) never seemed to sleep, very few facilities were open at this early of a time in the morning, let alone for when the city experienced unpleasant weather. And so, now grabbing the gilded and golden handles to the facility, I knew that I should be more appreciative of having such a resource available to me when I needed it the most in my time of need.

The door to the library shut behind me with a loud clatter, and I now stood within a new kind of soothing silence. Gazing out the window by the door, I could see now that the storm outside began to develop fervor, and I was grateful for my timing at arriving here for when I did. Shaking off my jacket, I made my way over to the nearest coat hanger and hung up my coat, now fluffing up my hair that had been flattened slightly from the hood of my jacket.

I took in a deep breath and beamed at the sights around me.

While Insomnia was well known for being highly modern and technologically advanced, I always appreciated how this library seemed to maintain a sense of antiquity that had slowly been losings its presence in Insomnia for quite some time now. Although by no means unkempt and dirty, there was something very soothing and reassuring about the smell of the older volumes of works that scattered the shelves, as though the past of Lucis was never meant to be forgotten. For this I was grateful that our King Regis thrived at keeping the olden arts alive within our city…

Stretching my arms out now from being cramped from the chills that had pervaded my body, I made my way over to the computers that lined the south wall _. What to search for today_? I asked myself. Perhaps do a little bit of light reading on ancient sculptures of Eos? What about looking for new Lucian artists? Or was I perhaps feeling a bit girlish and wanted to search for a book of love? I blushed to myself, now feeling rather silly. As I reached the computer and my palms touched the keyboard, I pulled my hands back. No. Not, not today. Today I would do this the old fashioned way. Today I would let the shelves guide me to discovering a new treasure.

I decided to head my way up to the second floor of the library that would lead me to a selection of fiction. Perhaps I was feeling a bit more adventurous in mind today. The dreams that had troubled me last night still invaded my mind and I was sure that a little bit of fantasy would help clear my mentality of the fiends that resided there. This part of the library had always been my favorite. The stained glass windows encircling the walls had always cast a warming and soothing glow onto the shelves, and the candelabras that hung from the ceiling always reminded me of olden times I never got to live through. My heart swelled at the site of what I saw around me and I immediately realized that I never really wanted to leave this place…

I shook my head, trying to liven my own spirits _. So what to look for_ …I asked myself again. I slowly wandered my way down the first aisle that I approached, and reading the call letters upon the shelves I soon realized that I had made my way (of all sections in this grandiose edifice) to the romance section. I shook my head _. But of course_ …Sighing to myself I let my eyes scan lazily across the shelves. While one should never judge a book my its color, at this moment I decided that I wanted to choose my choice of reading based on this very said idea. A cover that was bright, bold, and beautiful as the winter that had laden itself outside. I shut my eyes, letting my fingers skim across the spine of the books, and after few moments of doing this, I reopened my eyes and placed my hand upon the book that my hand rested upon. Aha! I gently pulled the book off the shelf and examined its beautiful cover. I gasped gently. Upon the front painted in water color hues of grey and blues were a young man and woman embraced tightly within each other’s arms, and the female had her face bent up to look into her handsome lover’s eyes.

I gently skimmed my fingertips over the beautiful gold lettering that adorned itself across its hardened cover. _Consentit habitare cum illa in arma mea_ , the cover read.

 _To Live With Her in My Arms_ …

I felt my heart clench and a stray tear made its way down the side of my face. I bit my lip as I held back a ragged breath that tried to escape my mouth but I refused to let out. Shutting my eyes tightly, I let out a deep sigh.

It had been months now. Even longer. How long time had passed since he left me at that tea shop, telling me that he needed to discover himself and find his purpose in life. I had tried my best at the time to rationalize his words, but as he stood up from the window-side table and walked out of the shop without saying another word, the entrance’s bell tingling violently in the process as he left me sitting there, there was simply no way to explain to myself what this all had meant. He had gone. He had left. He had no longer loved me. And it was time to move on. For good.

Opening my eyes back up slowly I gazed upon the book and smiled sadly. _This is the one_ , I said to myself, and as if embracing a long lost friend I brought the book to my breast and held onto it tightly but for a moment. Perhaps this is just what I needed to help me move on. To end these nightmares of the darkness that enclosed me each day.

Taking another deep breath I nodded to myself. And now with a bit more vivacity in my step, I stood up straighter as I made my way back down the aisle and around the corner of the shelves.

“Ow! Oh shit!”

Within an instant I had found myself flat upon my behind as a surge of books came crashing down upon my head with such force that it was enough to almost knock me out. I cried out in pain and held back the tears that began to swell in the corner of my eyes. What the hell had just happened?

“Holy shit, are you ok?” A gruff voice asked me.

I rubbed my head as my eyes slowly began to come back into focus, the white stars clearing from my vision as my surroundings became more focused. Now, looking up slowly, I found my mouth agape as I saw a figure standing (no, not standing, _towering_ ) before me.

He had to have been one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. While I could not judge his height from my seated position upon the ground, he clearly had to be looming several inches over 6 feet tall. His dark brown and tousled hair was shaven on the sides, shorter on the top, and longer in the back. A well-trimmed goatee lined his chiseled chin and a five o’clock shadow was speckled across the sides of his cheeks. A large scar adorned the left side of his god-like face, and I couldn’t help but be entranced in wondering just exactly how he obtained it. A dark leather jacket was cast over his right shoulder and he was wearing a tight black tank top that did little but nothing to hide an incredibly toned and broad chest and equally muscular arms that were enveloped with the sable ink of a feathery bird tattoo. How this man was not freezing in the dead of winter was but a mystery to me, but now as I starred up into his face, I saw that his brows were knit together and his deep amber eyes glowed with a sense of concern and worry. It took me but a moment more to realize that he was hunched over with a rather large hand extended to me, and I felt the embarrassed creep of a blush rush up my neck and cheeks at having made him wait for my response.

“I….I….” I slowly started to say. I grabbed his enormously large hand and he pulled me upright. Due to the impact of my head, I had stumbled and lost my balance as I stood.

And fell straight into his arms.

_Oh dear Ramuh…._

I felt another deep blush crawl up my cheeks bones as I looked away from him and brushed myself off. “Oh gods I am so sorry!” I blurted out, now realizing what I had done. Rounding the corner, I had clearly not heard him and rammed into him so hard that I knocked the pile of about eight books right out of his hands. I bent down and scurried to pick them up out of shame, but before I could even react to my own motions, his large hand gently placed itself upon mine. I looked up into his face and saw a small smile upon his lips, and it was all I could do to not swoon.

“Hey, it’s ok. Relax. You shouldn’t be moving too fast. I could have done something serious to that head of yours,” He said calmly. I felt my mouth hang open as I listened to the syllables of his words roll out of his mouth and into my ears. His voice was deep and rumbling like thunder on a rainy day, and soon enough I felt my shoulders relax.

A laugh escaped my lips. “I…I think I’m ok,” I said slowly, and now that he could see that I was responding like a normal human being, we both began to pick up the books that I had sent flying out of his hands. I placed the books into his broad arms and he sent them down upon the table behind him. Realizing that I had dropped my own novel of choice in the collision, I spotted the fallen book but a mere few feet away, but before I could reach it, he bent down and scooped it up off the floor. Standing up straight, his eyes skimmed across the cover.

_Oh gods…my book…._

A wide smile formed across his lips as he now made eye contact with me was one again. He extended his arm to return the book back to me, and it was all I could do to prevent myself from shaking as I gently took the book out of his hands. He crossed his broad arms and tilted his head to look at me. “That book you chose? Not gonna lie. But out of all the fiction in this library…that one has to be one of my personal favorites.”

_I could faint…_

I brought the book to my chest as I smiled at him. “R-really?” I said, now finally starting to comprehend just exactly how astounded I was at the very person that was standing in front of me. The man before me looked like he could kick ass and take names for business. By no means did he look like the type to even place a finger upon a book, yet here this man was, rippling muscles and all, confessing his love for a romance novel. I tried to maintain my composure at this and cleared my throat before I responded to him. “I…I was looking for something new to read,” I finally said now, finding my feet shift awkwardly on the library carpet. “I just happened to stumble upon it by chance while I was looking for something new and exciting to read. But, it turns out I happened to stumble right into you too.” I paused for a moment, seeing his body shift to a more relaxed stance. “I’m….I’m sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t mean to run into you. I thought I was the only one here and I didn’t even hear you!”

He smiled back at me warmly and chuckled. He crossed his arms again, and it was all I could do to not stare at how incredibly large his forearms and biceps were. “It’s no worries,” he replied. “Quite frankly I didn’t think anyone was going to be here this early either. I figured that since the person I am in charge of would be snoozing in on a snow day off from his duties, I’d sneak out for a break and head to this library. It’s not often that I get to come to this facility. Usually I just go to the Citadel’s library, but I was missing out on the charm of this place and wanted to check it out.”

My eyes widened at his statement. “The Citadel?” I said with surprise. “You’ve been inside there before? That’s amazing!”

The man smiled back and me. “Yeah, you could say that. I kinda got important business there, but just for now, I’m gonna keep it a secret from you on what exactly it is that I do.”

… _For now_?

My heart started to beat a little bit faster. Who was his man?

The man was quick on the uptake of my reaction and smirked. “Well, even though I can’t perhaps tell you my business right this moment, at least I can tell you my name. Gladiolus. But you can call me Gladio for short.”

 _What a beautiful name_ … Gladiolus extended his hand out to me in greeting and I placed my hand in his. “My name is Y/N,” I said in response, smiling warmly back at him. He gently shook my hand in return, but for a moment, our motions stopped. He was staring into my eyes intently now, and for a moment, just a moment, I felt the entirety of Eos stop motions. His amber eyes sparkled as he looked into mine, and I managed to take a deep breath before I felt myself faint.

He held onto my hand longer than expected. “Y/N? I like that. It’s beautiful,” he said to me with a grin that showed off his perfectly aligned teeth, and I felt my mouth go dry. Slowly letting go of my hand, he removed the jacket slung over his shoulder and snaked its leather sleeves over his bulky arms. He turned back to the table behind him and scooped up all of his books into his large arms, then turned back to face me. “I don’t’ know about you, but I’m starting to get a little hungry,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re plans were for this snowy day, but I intended to catch up on some reading when I had a moment’s reprieve from my duty. Would you care to join me for some coffee and tea and we can share part of our books? I know the perfect little shop from here that I think you might like, if you haven’t been there before…”

My heart clenched at his words. Tea shop. My heart swelled. Just like before. _No. But not for pain and heartache this time. For joy._

Smiling widely back at him, I found myself inadvertently batting my eyelashes and nodding to him in response. “Yes, Gladio, I would really like that a lot.”

His grin widened, and I instantly realized this was in response to me using the nickname he gave me mere moments ago. And soon enough after we checked out our books, we were back out on the streets of Insomnia, which now was blanketed in at least half a foot of snow. Gladio had taken my book from my hands and put it into his bag to carry for me, and my heart swelled at his sweet and gentlemanly gesture. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the crisp cold air once again filling my lungs, and Gladio seemed to share the same sentiment as me as he lifted his face to the sky and closed his eyes for a moment. A faint blush rose up through my cheeks as I found myself smiling with warmth in my chest at the sight of him. He opened his eyes to take note of my gaze upon him, and in response, he smiled back.

And now, as the two of us strolled side by side down the silent streets in each other’s comfort and company, the snow lightly coated our heads and the wintery world of Insomnia gleamed its heavenly light.

 


End file.
